accueil site > Paysage et patrimoine > 01. Teaching materials > 04. High School > To build up a ‘bottled garden’
OBJECTIVES
Professional integration
Research of the ancient practices and techniques for the transport of tropical plants
Realization of a product responding to an economic demand.
COMPETENCES
Knowledge of the rules related to plants’ transportation
Development of the innovation and document research
Spirit of initiative.
CULTURAL REFERENCES
‘Bottled gardens’ make their appearance at the beginning of 1800. The scientist Dr Ward plants a small fern in a demijohn with soil.
By observing that the plant is growing under these conditions, he gets the idea of realizing glass cases for transporting and feeding plants during the long oceanic voyages.
Dr. Ward’s idea is the present response to effective gardening in the areas where either pollution or drought create serious problems. In a demijohn or in a bottle plants can live and create a natural microcosm.
MATERIAL
In order to create a ‘bottled garden’ it is necessary to choose small plants that grow slowly and are moisture resistant (see the list).
A bottle or a small demijohn
One litre of sand (not sea sand)
One litre of chippings
One litre of charcoal
One litre of heath
Some moss
Dry wood, pebbles or shells
A rubber syringe for watering and cleaning the leaves
A natural brush for cleaning the leaves
A long wooden pincer
A spring pincer
A funnel
Rolled up paper to extend the funnel
A pair of long tweezers
LIST OF PLANTS
Acorus gramineus variegatus
Acorus gramineus pusillus
Adiantum tenerum wrightii
Begonia semperflorens
Caladium humboldtii - caladium
Calathea micans
Cissus striata - vitis
Cryptantus bivitantus minor
Dionaea muscipula
Dracaena godseffiana
Ficus pumila minima
Hedera helix
Maranta leuconeura kirchaveana
Philodendron sodiroi
Pteris ensiformis Victoriae
Saintpaulia
Saxifraga stolenifera
Selaginella kraussiana
Sinningia pusilla
DEVELOPMENT
Technique
Clean the inside of the bottle
Pour 2cm of sand, 2cm of charcoal and a layer of heath on the bottom with the help of the funnel and paper
Draw the diameter of the bottle on a sheet of paper to establish the layout of the plants
Put the plants into the bottle after cleansing their roots. Roll up the big ones in a piece of paper to get them through easily and use the long pincer to settle them in the spot designed
Accurately cover the roots with heath
Spray some lukewarm water on the surface and cover the heath with moss
Add small pebbles, shells, sticks, etc. as decoration
Water judiciously
Advice
Use pieces of stocking nylon to separate the different layers : chippings, charcoal, sand and heath. T
his way the geological effect will be very interesting. You can even add a small flower.
Association « Artiste No Tahiti"
API Formation Tahiti